Some of Tenner’s usual uptightness cranked his expression to maximum disapproval. “My God, you’re arrogant. Seriously, you think that’s going to happen again?”
Ross used the bottle opener built into the side of the counter, highly satisfied by the hiss as the cap popped off. “God, I hope so.” He took a drink and swallowed before Tenner could stop sputtering in outrage. “Not tonight, of course. You’re taking care of your kid. You don’t want her to get attached—I get it. I’m a baseball friend and that’s all. But if you’re picking her up on Friday night, there’s got to be some nights you’re all by yourself, right?”
Tenner opened his mouth and closed it again. “I drop her off at school Monday morning. Depending on her school schedule and Nina’s travel schedule, I get her for a half week sometimes, but most weekends, she’s here.”
“Then what are you doing Monday night?” Ross asked hopefully, but he kind of figured it wouldn’t be that simple.
Popping the top off Tenner’s obvious reluctance would be a lot harder than popping the top off his beer, but possibly a lot more satisfying.
“Bringing home my work, as usual,” Tenner said, his understated sarcasm sending a shiver up Ross’s spine. He’d suspected as much, that Tenner didn’t have much of a social life, but Tenner had just confirmed it. He set his beer down on the counter and started chopping up lettuce. Ross noticed the salad ingredients included crushed pita chips, green olives, and feta cheese.
“Does Piper eat that?” Ross asked, distracted.
“No.” The backs of Tenner’s ears turned red.
“No?” Oh, how fascinating.
“There is another grown-up in the house. I like Mediterranean salad. Usually I chop chicken into mine and make it a meal, but….” He gestured to the water, which wasn’t quite boiling yet.
“Mac and cheese and hot dogs. I understand. Now, about work. You’re in Pat’s department?”
Tenner shrugged. “I work with video chip components and help clean up the code so the chip can give the computer better instructions. Sounds boring, but I get to play video games early, so that’s exciting.”
He sounded like he meant it.
“What’s your current favorite?” Ross asked, enchanted.
Tenner named one of the newest ones, and Ross let out a low whistle.
“I haven’t even had a chance to play that one yet,” he said.
Tenner swallowed, and Ross saw the exact moment he decided to make the invitation. “After dinner. You know. Piper and I usually play a couple rounds of Mario Kart, but once she’s in bed, you and I could play a round or two.”
Well, yeah. That game was a little violent for a kid. “I’d like that,” Ross said. “Seriously. Thanks for the invite.”
And now Tenner’s entire neck was red. Oh, this was really fascinating. Ross wondered what he could get Tenner to say that would make his nose light up like a spinning cherry!
“Glad to do it,” Tenner told him, his eyes totally concentrating on dicing little green olives. His cheeks got blotchy with that one. Damn. So adorable. “So, uh, what do you do? I mean… uh, for work.”
And there went his forehead. Oh my God! This was amazing amounts of fun. Still without looking at Ross, Tenner used the back of his chef’s knife to expertly scoop the chopped components of the salad into a white glass bowl. Ross waited for him to set the grater on top of the bowl and start grating carrots into it before answering.
“I’m a horticulturist, or at least that’s what’s on my degree. But I’m more like a horticultural engineer.”
The carrot paused on the grater, and Tenner actually looked at him. “Like where to plant what? Really?”
Ross laughed softly. “Now see, I usually lose most potential dates with that. Too many syllables, you know?”
“But plants are so important right now,” Tenner said earnestly. “What have you been working on? What brings you here?”
Ross let out a breath. This part was… hard. “Well, I was in the Amazon,” he said, his heart hurting. “There’s so much devastation. And my government grant ran out, so I came back to lobby for private funding to go back.”
“Any luck?” Tenner asked, and Ross gave a sigh of relief. He obviously didn’t have to explain how important this work was.
“Well, I did get a couple of companies to fund my team, but first, I had to offer my services in trade.”
“So….” Tenner was regarding him seriously, and Ross was surged with an entirely different form of gratification.
Respect.
Not just a pretty face or a good fuck—this guy was listening to Ross as a person, and Ross usually only got that kind of attention in the field.
“Well, besides helping with environmental impact assessments on a local level, I’m giving seminars to a bunch of different companies in the area—yours included—where I talk about the importance of, say, solar panels over the parking lot, or drought-resistant landscaping, and why it’s important to choose indigenous and noninvasive species when to plant. I like the idea, honestly, it’s important work too. So much can be done with education and a little bit of resource allocation. And Pat and Des are the greatest. I’m living in their basement playroom right now, but I’ve got my own bathroom, and Desi set up an actual bed that doesn’t wreck my back. The kids don’t go down there much—they’re getting old enough to not need all those big bulky toys, you know?”
“Yeah,” Tenner said, and to Ross’s disappointment, that marvelous red flush began to recede. Bummer. Ross had been hoping it would flood to Tenner’s almost delicate little nose.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did all that talk about environmentalism turn you off?”
“Oh, no, not at all!” Tenner finished up with the carrots and added a couple of slices of radish and then put the grater in the sink. “It’s fascinating. And you’re right, it’s really important work.”
“So…?”
“Could you pass me the feta please?” Tenner inquired politely, pointing to the counter on Ross’s other side.
“Sure.” Ross picked up the little plastic container and held it, just out of Tenner’s reach.
Tenner looked at him sideways. “Can I have it, please?”
“Sure,” Ross said again.
“But you’re not giving it—”
Ross kissed him.
It was sort of a ballsy move, but he figured he’d only need one little kiss. He’d forgotten how sweet Tenner’s lips were, how that combination of aggression and shyness made his balls ache. Ross pulled back first, his face hot, and put the cheese in Tenner’s hand.
“Why did you do that?” Tenner asked, his eyes darting predictably to the living room, where they could both see the back of Piper’s elbow as she leaned on the side of the couch to color.
“Why’d you go all white and quiet?” Ross asked, equally as intense.
“I was wondering when you’d be leaving to go out in the field again,” Tenner said with dignity, and Ross caught his breath.
Not stupid. Tenner Gibson was not stupid.